How Tuki got her groove
by Incredibleintruder
Summary: How exactly did Tuki get her hands on such powerful genie dances? What exactly happened to give her access to such a lost art?


How Tuki got her groove

All was peaceful and quiet in Scuttle Town...

''You can't fire me!''

For the most part, as the citizens strolled by the marketplace, making their best to ignore the sudden outburst that came from the item shop, the place of interest for adventurers and explorers alike.

''No, ssseriously, you can't fire me!''

The loud voice, coming from the back-store, startled most of the customers as the shopkeeper, embarrassed, tried to calm things down with the demanding and loud source of this outcry, a snake-woman of unknown origin that had bizarrely appeared in town, to no one's notice save for the shopkeeper himself.

''Where will I go? What will I do? I'm ssso close to my dream, I can almost tassste it! You can't do thisss to me!'' she complained, standing as tall as she could to look intimidating despite her flustered manners.

''You're right, Tuki, I can't fire you,'' the shopkeeper said, sighing a little as he looked at Tuki's smiling and radiant face as he announced that. ''Technically, you're not even an employee, so firing you is not close to being an option right now.''

Her expression returning to one of sadness as he further spoke, Tuki slithered around, greatly bothered by all of this. ''That's just mean, cruel even! And here I thought we had formed a bond and everything!''

''Sure, I saved you from some monsters who went on to beat you up close to the town, I'll give you that,'' the shopkeeper began to say, trying to get Tuki to focus. ''But it's been days since you've been fully healed...and all you do is eat a lot and stare at the dance parlor all day. I think it's time for you to leave.''

''It's not my fault if I eat like a sssnake my age, you know,'' Tuki replied, visibly hurt by this comment as she then slithered much closer to her benefactor. ''I'm sure there's a real reason why you want me gone. Ssspill it.''

Hitting the nail on its head, the shopkeeper sighed as he then looked at Tuki in the eyes. ''Look, Mayor Scuttlebutt has found out that you're in my shop and he's threatening to close up the shop if I don't get rid of you. He think you'll eat someone and because of that he's trying to move you out. I'm sorry.''

''Can't you jussst explain to him that I'm not dangerousss?''

''He fired the guardian genie, then re-hired her three times today over trivial things. The man is not known to be reasonable.''

''Oh,'' Tuki said, understanding that this was out of his or her control. Eyeing the dance parlor through the window, she sighed as she fixed her gaze on her objective. ''I'm never gonna learn how to dance like these women over there...''

''Shouldn't it be easy for you to replicate those moves, considering you're a snake-woman and all that?'' the shopkeeper asked, kind of baffled by her fixation over this place.

''That's a sssilly notion. Even If I have the body for it, I still need to learn and these girls over there know what I want to learn,'' Tuki said, removing herself from the window as she then curled her long tail down as she looked at the ground. ''A pity everyone thinks I'm some kind of man-eating monster...''

Placing a hand on Tuki's shoulder, the shopkeeper went on to try to reassure her, yet didn't quite found the right words, his mind racing to come up with something nice to say. ''...You have to leave tomorrow, Tuki. I'm sorry.''

Wasting his chance, the shopkeeper returned to his customers as Tuki dared to stare again at the dance parlor, this divine place where she could learn to sway and move like a pro. Having sneaked out a few times to observe the dancers when she was but a young and tiny thing, she had always been fascinated by just how graceful and serpentine the women in this building could be. Wishing to emulate them, to join the stage and to learn all their moves, she wanted to know what it was like to receive all the adulations that those women received every night. To be the center of attention, to be appreciated, not feared as her green scales would reflect the light and show the beauty she could very well represent, with her red hair flowing in the air as she'd strut her stuff. And yet she had come quite close, yet those in power had once more deigned that she was not worthy, that she was just some monster much like those that attacked travelers outside the town. With those dark thoughts in her mind, she went to sleep, curled over her coils as night came quickly.

Waking up in the middle of the night, she was startled as she was shaken by the shopkeeper himself as he handed her a few potions. ''Hey, I heard that the guards would probably be there first thing in the morning, so I thought that it would be wise to make sure you're gone by then. I've got a few potions for you if you ever get injured like the first time we've met.''

Groggy, Tuki tried to keep up as she went on to stretch herself, a rather demanding affair, as she then looked at her once-more-savior. ''But, how do I get out of here without causing any trouble?''

The shopkeeper, smirking like a child getting into mischief, went on and then pointed at one particularly splendid jar, one that was purple and blue in its colorization, with a shine to it that seemed never ending. ''The guardian genie gave me this to help after she told me about the guards. It's supposed to be a gateway of some sort that connects to other jars much like this one. I just need to keep it here, then for you to enter and you'll be somewhere far away, safe from the stupid decisions of our mayor.''

Eyeing the jar, Tuki then tried to fit her face in the opening as she saw that, in some weird way, the entrance went on to magically accommodate itself to her height and width. Going forth with her exploration of this magical artifact, she slithered all the way inside, wondering just where this would lead her as she then appeared in some sort of humid and large cave, one where things were pitch black due to the lack of light sources. Her sight adjusting to her surroundings, she saw that she had come out of an identical jar, one with the same colors and shine effect as the one she had entered through. Amused by this, she then went on to test the other places as she appeared throughout multiple spots in Sequin Land, in places where things were cold, others where it was warm and so forth. Returning to the back-store, she then grabbed the potions that were offered to her as she then smiled at the shopkeeper. ''Thanksss for the help...I own you one~''

Getting away from Scuttle Town with nothing but her potions that she had safely kept in the jar, Tuki then went on to jump from one spot to the other, never traveling far away from her escape route in case the nastier monsters would come closer to her. Despite having the means to heal herself this time around, she was not exactly in the mood for the turmoils and pain that those brutes would inflict upon her, even though her inner pain was preoccupying her than anything. To have come so close to even try to be in the dance parlor, not as an intruder, but as a guest and perhaps a dancer, was just yet another low blow that she had not expected life to give as she tried to perhaps find some way to learn things on her own. Her body being just too long, her tail being in the way and her trying to replicate the much faster and graceful moves only gave way to disappointment, as Tuki tried merely to survive for a little while. Sometimes entering the back-store at night merely to watch the dance parlor from afar, she never did so for long as she had to try and stick to the wilderness, for her own sake.

Living like this for a little while, thankfully without having to defend herself or to consume any of the precious potions given to her, she was sleeping the pathways between jars, some kind of bizarre tunnel that she was lean enough to penetrate and prosper within. Slumbering soundly, she felt a tremor within the jar as it shook her entire body, causing her to spasm in surprise. Slithering quickly outside, in near panic, she was soon greeted by the sight of an uncanny person: a guardian genie, one of dark skin and yellow vestments. Powerful beings that were known to defend all of Sequin Land, women all of them, Tuki knew that they were benevolent, for the most part, yet nonetheless felt angry at being woken up in such a fashion. ''Hey, what gives? I'm sssleeping here!''

The genie, on her guard, observed Tuki as she was ready to fight, taking on a stance that indicated that she'd be able to deal with the snake-woman in a flash. After a little while of both Tuki and the genie observing each other without doing much of anything, the genie dropped her guard, sighing. ''You're not going to attack me, are you?''

Feeling that it would be quite a waste, especially considering it was the intervention of Scuttle Town's own guardian genie that made it possible for her to have the jar and a semblance of freedom, Tuki relaxed a little before this powerful being. With another glance, she could see that the genie did not seem to look particularly well, with wounds showing up on her body, as if she had fought some terrible foes. ''No, I don't really want to attack you, even though you were attacking my home.''

''My apologies. We genies, as well as those who support us, put gems and healing items in jars that are hidden in herbs and in plain sight to help each other in our many quests. I thought yours was one of those, but it seems I've been mistaken,'' the genie said, sitting down as she was catching her breath.

''Oh, well that explains it,'' Tuki said, trying to alleviate the atmosphere. ''Sssay, you don't look ssso hot. What happened?''

''Some kind of demon had stolen something important from the town where I act as a guardian genie. I had to find him, then do battle. He fought well, to say the least,'' the genie said, placing a hand on one of her wounds to cover it up.

''Well...I do have some healing potions, if you want any. I sssupose I could help you,'' Tuki said, going back into her jar to pick one of her own precious potions, handing it out as soon as she came out again.

Picking up the potion and drinking it up rapidly, the genie seemed to already feel much better as most of her wounds closed up, making it far easier for her to stand up now. ''You have my thanks. Is there any way I can repay you?''

Not sure what exactly she could ask for, Tuki gave her a long look, as she saw that she was garbed in a way that was not dissimilar to those dancers she eyed from afar. Giving her an idea, a potentially vain hope, Tuki nonetheless felt that she had to try, feeling already foolish for even pondering upon the matter. ''You wouldn't be able to teach me how to dance, would you?''

A little surprised and amused at this demand, the genie then laughed lightly as she approached closer to Tuki, observing her rapidly. ''You do possess a serpentine body and some uncanny disposition toward dancing,'' she said, gazing at Tuki's hips. ''It's a strange request, but one that I feel is within my chords to grant. What would you like to know?''

''I didn't know that genies could dance,'' Tuki said, her face beaming up into a smile of anticipation as she looked at the genie. ''I mean, you do know how to, right?''

''Genies are masters when it comes to this art, young lady,'' the genie said, her tone far more playful than initially, as she smiled while showing up a few moves of her own. Doing so nonchalantly, she swayed her hips from right to left like a pendulum, then did a quick Egyptian twirl before winking toward Tuki as she resumed her normal stance. ''We have special dances that normal people themselves can't even try to replicate.''

''Will you teach me the basics?'' Tuki said, already in awe at the fact that a genie herself would be her teacher, if only for a little while.

''I suppose I could give you a quick class before returning to my town,'' the genie replied, as she then placed both of her hands on Tuki's hips, standing behind her. ''Now, try to sway your hips from right to left like I just did and we'll start from there.''

A little shy that someone got so close and in contact with her, especially in such a gentle manner, Tuki got a grip on herself as she did as she was asked, swaying her large and scaly hips while the genie held her. Not finding her balance even with some help, her moves went on to become too wide in their array as she fumbled quite quickly, much to her shame. ''Dang it!''

''I see where the problem is,'' the genie declared, removing her hands as she expertly analyzed the situation in seconds. ''You need to find your center of mass, a place that can help with your balance. Perhaps this jar could help in that regard.''

Looking at her jar, Tuki was left unsure as to whether or not this would do the trick. What could that jar do in the art of dancing? ''Uh...sssure, if you think it'll help,'' she responded, slithering toward the jar and entering it until a small section of her tail, her hips and her body were all that could be seen.

''Perfect,'' the genie said with a little smile, as she placed her hands on Tuki's hips once more. ''Now, let's try it again.''

Going forth with the genie's plan once again, Tuki did have a much easier time as her tail was not so much in the way right now. Being in the pathway in the jar, the opening provided a nice little limit for her body to deal with as she swayed her hips in a rough, but controlled manner as her wide movements were much more gracious than before.

''Good, now we can start with things properly,'' the genie said, taking her time to properly teach some basic techniques to Tuki. Rolling her belly, bobbing her navel, using her upper and lower body to her advantage and so forth, the training went on for a while until the sun was beginning to set down, much to the delight of the snake-woman.

Having learned so much thanks to the genie, Tuki's face beamed with joy and gratitude, yet also with a newfound confidence whenever she got things right, which began to get more and more frequent as time passed by. Her natural sleekness and her serpentine body were, much like the shopkeeper said, an actual boon that she had yet to acknowledge, as it did seem to be easy for her to learn now that she no longer fumbled. The lesson, though, was soon to be over, as even Tuki knew that the genie had other tasks at hand.

''I shall soon leave, however pleasant things have been while teaching you,'' the genie declared, as she stopped her hands on approach to teaching. Giving a final glance at Tuki, she then prepared her dancing stance as she moved in an impossibly fluid manner before the snake-woman's eyes. ''It's because people like you exist that I'm so happy to protect this land and this world. My power has slowly been restored while I spent time with you and it's high time that I get back to my home town. Farewell.''

A little sad that the genie had to depart, even though she had stayed longer than what she had initially promised, Tuki nonetheless felt grateful that she had learned so much in so little time. Looking at how the genie danced, she smiled, the gasped in surprise when she saw the genie disappeared out of thin air, leaving close to no trace that she was ever here. A little dumbfounded that the genie, who she never even thought to ask her name, was gone and she was back to being on her own, yet armed with new knowledge. Despite her feeling a little blue, she went back to train, as she would assuredly be making true progress now.

For a while, things were back to being quiet for Tuki, the meeting with the genie still fresh in her mind as she danced and danced as if there was no tomorrow. With this desire burning brightly in her soul, she practiced days and night, her passion motivating her to no end as she tried to perfect some of the moves taught to her in a matter of hours. There was one thing, however, that she tried to emulate more than anything, as the last dance that made the genie vanish away was of a higher caliber than the rest. With a very vivid memory of how the genie moved, Tuki tried very hard to replicate it, wishing very much that the powers of such a dance could be hers. Whether it was an invisibility dance, or a teleporting one, made no difference to her so long as she'd be able to mimic it.

Days and weeks passing by, Tuki was still practicing, until another shock to her being startled her sudden inaction. If her feeling was right, someone was hitting one of the jars somewhere far away, perhaps even someone that would need assistance or a lesson. Getting back into the pathway, Tuki moved to yet another part of the world, a particularly hot one in the desert as she witnessed, much to her surprise, another genie. Garbed in a style not dissimilar to the previous one, she was bronze of skin, blue of hair and wore green as she had a vivid expression of surprise as Tuki emerged. ''Let me guess...You thought there would be gems inssside?''

The genie, quickly regaining her composure, warily readied herself for battle, yet was soon dissuaded by Tuki as she spoke.

''I don't want to fight, please,'' Tuki proclaimed, doing various hands motion to indicate that she was no threat. ''Ssso, I've got to assk; are you a genie, by any chance?''

''What gave it away?'' the genie replied, her tone not being as courteous as the previous one.

''Well, you're clothed in dancing clothes in a very dangerous and removed area, you've got weirdly-colored hair and there's the fact that you hit a jar found in the wild, a thing only genies do,'' Tuki said confidently, placing a hand on her hip.

''You're just full of surprises, aren't you?'' the genie said, a smirk on her face. ''Well, if you're not a threat, I'll just be on my way then. I've got a long trek in this desert and the faster I get away, the better.''

Seeing a golden opportunity to learn more from yet another genie, Tuki began to ponder whether or not she should push her luck. This one seemed to be a little less amiable than the other one, yet the genies had been generous and kind with her so far. Taking a long breath to gather her courage and keep this front of confidence on her, she then looked at the genie who began to walk away before she spoke. ''I know a dance that could help you, you know?''

The genie, amused by this notion, turned around to look at Tuki, incredulity being her main expression in front of such a claim. ''You know a secret passageway, perhaps? A tunnel?''

''No, but I've witnessed a genie like you who danced, then vanished, sssaying that she'd be returning to her home town as she did ssso,'' Tuki explained, showing a few of her dance moves to further prove her claim. ''I could teach it to you, for a price~''

Dubious, the genie nonetheless got back to Tuki as she looked at her with a much more serious outlook. ''You're talking of the warp dance, I believe, an art that is well-protected by a few. What would you want in exchange for it? Gems? Monster eggs?''

Both things were indeed tempting for Tuki, as gems would probably make it so she'd be able to pay back the shopkeeper for his generosity and she was famished, yet she was hungry for something that she was a little more passionate about. ''I'll teach it to you for 100 gems...and a new dance.''

The genie, crossing her arms, soon got herself lost in her thoughts, as she pondered whether or not this was a wise move. Thinking fast, she relented as she gave away a pouch of gems to Tuki, then looked at her straight in the eyes. ''What kind of dance do you want to learn, exactly?''

Smirking due to how lucky she was, Tuki grabbed the gems and placed it within her jar as she began to question herself on what she wanted. She could very well ask for more training, yet perhaps this genie knew another magical dance that could prove to be useful, in a sense. ''I want another dance with an effect like the warp dance you've mentioned,'' she chose to say, really pushing her luck, yet keeping her facsimile of confidence up to further sell her demand.

''You're driving a tough bargain...''the genie complained as she sighed, then relented. ''I know a dance of healing that only a handful of genies know. If I teach it to you, will you teach me the warp dance?''

''Mossst certainly~'' Tuki said, a little grin on her face due to how lucky she was.

''Very well, then allow me to demonstrate,'' the genie said, picking up a little knife from her arsenal and giving herself a very small cut on one of her hand. Then, without waiting, she went on to dance in an intricate fashion before Tuki's eyes, as the snake-woman observed with great interest. ''First, you need to set your hips like this and move at this particular pace.''

Tuki, feeling much more confident since the last time she met a genie, tried to replicate the dance as best she could, her wide hips moving in a similar fashion. ''Like thisss?''

''Yes, very good,'' the genie praised, before then continuing her complex dance. With Tuki mimicking her rather well, the genie seemed to drop her more brutish facade as she smiled while she danced. With Tuki and her sharing a moment of true art, it seemed that Tuki got the hang of it quite well as she finished her dance, which sealed the cut in the genie's hand and cleaned her up, making her look even better than she was prior to hitting the jar. ''And this is how it's done...'I have to say, you've got a talent. I'm honestly surprised you could keep up.''

Her composure being lost for a few moments due to this praise, Tuki snapped back to her regular self, trying very hard not to show a big and goofy smile due to how happy she was to hear this. ''You've kept your end of the bargain, now I shall keep mine,'' she declared, before then placing her hands in front of her chest, clasping them together. ''Just watch~''

Her own confidence boosting her abilities, Tuki danced flawlessly as she got every moves right. Doing as she remembered, she went at a pace that she thought impossible for her, yet she was beaming with joy as she shared yet another moment with a genie. Dancing firing up her soul, even though it was in front a single person, she then stopped the dance as she concluded it with the final move, just like she remembered it. ''And this is how it'sss done. Care to give it a try?''

A little in awe of how a creature like Tuki could replicate her moves so easily, the genie then snapped out of it as she tried to replicate what she just saw. With the guidance of Tuki, she eventually got it as she vanished exactly like the previous genie, gone in an instant as she left Tuki alone. Uncertain whether or not she ought to stay there to see if the genie would come back, Tuki went back inside the jar as she went back to training, these new moves giving her a new insight on what she could do with her body. First, however, she went to the back-store of the item shop, leaving the pouch of gems for the shopkeeper to find.

Returning to the wilderness, she then trained even further, her comprehension of the dancing art and of how she incorporate her own advantages to it having multiplied her skills. A fast learner and, most importantly, a passionate one, she went on to further practice, hoping that her stroke of luck would go on for eternity. Who knew, perhaps she would get yet another genie to train her in the near future? With that thought in mind for a few weeks, the jar shook once more, making Tuki smile in the prospect that yet another genie tried to take a few gems from an unknown jar. Another opportunity for business and for learning was opening up, it seemed, as Tuki went through the pathway only to see yet another genie, this one green of hair, garbed in orange. ''You were trying to get some gems, weren't-''

The genie, quick to respond, looked at Tuki with no surprise whatsoever as she then placed a pouch of gems near the jar. ''I want you to teach me the warp dance. Here is your payment.''

Confused as to how quickly things were getting straight to business, Tuki grabbed the pouch, then looked at the new genie. ''How did you know I could teach you this dance?''

''One of my friends from a town close to mine told me she met a snake-woman in a strange jar of purple and blue. She told me that you knew a great many things and that you were a good teacher, so here I am. Could you please teach me?''

Putting the pouch in her jar once more, Tuki was surprised at how she had gained a reputation amongst genies, of all people. ''Couldn't she just teach you the dance herself?''

''She could have, but she had yet another task to take care of and she said that watching you dance was an experience unlike any other,'' the genie responded calmly, looking at Tuki with no enmity whatsoever.

Tuki, processing the information, went on to realize that she had, in some way, accomplished one of her goal without even being aware of it. With constant practice and with but a few showings before genies, she had gained not only the respect of powerful and skilled beings, but also further opportunities to learn. Smiling confidently, she then crossed her arms and went straight to business. ''If she told you about me, she also told you that I want you to teach me a new dance for my trouble.''

''She did tell me so,'' the genie responded, collecting her thoughts. ''Would a dance that transform you into a tree do?''

''Ssso long as it's pretty,'' Tuki responded as she prepared her own dancing stance, getting into the spirit of things as she observed the genie.

Doing their trade, the genie went away, warping to another location as Tuki now had three magical dances in her arsenal. While she couldn't exactly use them in the same way that genies could due to the fact that she possessed no powers like them, the dances were amazing enough that she did not feel cheated in the slightest in this trade. Going back to practice even further, Tuki saw her skills being enhanced tenfold as each genie dance made her explore the limits of what she could do and how she could break them. Her belly rolling, her hips swaying and her twirls were all near-perfect, as far as she could tell, as she even got to the point where she did not need the jar anymore, comfortable enough with her long body and her center of mass to try dancing without any problems.

Soon, her life got much more interesting as words of the dancing snake-woman got to a multitude of genie's ears, each of them bringing their own deal. Some wanted the warp dance, others ventured to see what else Tuki could teach and some even offered to practice with her. With her dreams of the dance parlor still so far away, it was still nice to be admired and respected by all those important and kindhearted beings, as all of this made her much happier than she had ever been in her life. Now much more confident, she danced every single day, her skills getting better and better as she got more and more in control over her own life. Striking a deal with the shopkeeper to carry more potions with her in case the genies would need them, her business of dance-trading made her a fortune as Tuki could now buy whatever she wanted, including those huge and delicious eggs from the hatchery in Scuttle Town. The monsters even left her alone, intimidated by the fact that genies were constantly gravitating near Tuki, a fact that protected her from any harm that could befall her. She was happy, wishing that it would never end.

However, one day, the genies simply stopped coming. Thinking that it was perhaps due to some unforeseen event of some consequence, Tuki held the hope that everything would be alright and that it was but a temporary situation. The days without seeing a single genies turned into weeks, making her sick with worry as she got back to Scuttle Town, in the back-store to maybe get some answers on the matter. She was not welcome there, but then again her curiosity had to be satiated, if only to learn the truth, no matter how harsh it could prove to be. Seeing the shopkeeper looking at his inventory, Tuki touched his shoulder gently, startling him in the process. ''Sssorry...But I have an important quessstion for you...It'sss been a long time since I had any genie cussstomers...Did sssomething happen to them?''

Decidedly uncomfortable with that question, the shopkeeper dropped what he was doing and looked at Tuki with a look that said it all: something terrible had happened. ''I'm sorry to be the one breaking it to you, Tuki, but... They're all gone.''

Shocked at this revelation, Tuki shook with fear and sadness upon hearing this news, yet she simply had to know more. ''It can't be true! Why would they all leave?''

''They all defended Sequin Land from the Pirate Master and it took them all that they had. They won, yet they were just gone after that, leaving their families and their towns just like that. We're still not sure what we'll do now that we have no guardians genies...''

The truth of the matter hurting her more than she thought was possible, Tuki retreated away in her jar, shaken to her very core as she wanted to be left alone for the time being. If the genies, guardians of things that were good and just, that judged her for what she could do and say and not for what she looked like were all gone, where did that leave Sequin Land and the rest of the world? Her moment of happiness gone and with a whole lot of her friends just gone, she wasn't quite certain if things would ever be good for her ever again, the news hitting her hard.

Living in retreat from Scuttle Town, her despair grew, then faded into the background of her mind as she tried to go on for their sake, yet her dance lacked a special something nowadays, as if the soul behind her moves was long since gone. Going through the motions, days turned into weeks, then into months, then into years as the initial shock from the disappearance of the genies faded away, the impact on Tuki and her passion still living on as she felt that she would never dance for anyone near as worthy as the genies.

Things weren't happy anymore, until a shaking sensation was felt in her jar once more, surprising her greatly. There was no reason anymore for this kind of thing to happen, as no one really knew the secrets behind all those jars anymore. Perhaps, this time, it was simply a monster that had struck the jar, or a similar event. Nonetheless, she simply had to know as she slithered through the pathway, getting out of the jar ready for just about anything. What she saw, however, left her speechless.

There was a young woman, one with long purple hair, golden jewelry, garbed in a dancing costume of red, black and gold waiting just in front of the jar, surprised at the appearance of Tuki just as much as Tuki was surprised at the sight of her. Looking at each other in silence for a few seconds, the newcomer broke that as she looked at Tuki in embarassment. ''Sorry...I didn't know you were living in this jar. I though there would be gems inside.''

Startled at this politeness, at how she was dressed and about the fact that knew something that only genies were aware of, Tuki tried to regain her composure before looking like a fool in front of this person. ''Are you...are you a genie?''

''Oh! Uhmmm...No, I'm a half-genie. My mom was one, though. She was the guardian of Scuttle Town and I've been replacing her for some time,'' she answered, her kind nature shining through as she did not seem to judge Tuki for a single second, a rare occurrence considering even the genies were on their guard when they saw Tuki for the first time. ''My name is Shantae, by the way. Who are you?''

''My name is Tuki,'' the snake-woman replied, the situation almost being too much for her. ''Are you a dancer, Shantae?''

''Yeah! I make my living at the dance parlor in Scuttle Town when I'm not on quests to protect Scuttle Town and all of Sequin Land. I'm supposedly very good, or so they say,'' Shantae responded, a little smile on her face. ''Do you dance too?''

The daughter of the one who had saved her initially was standing right in front of her and, as Tuki could tell, she was a sweet and caring individual. A dancer, a protector and altogether all of the things she had loved to see when dealing with the genies was right there in a bundle comprised of a single person, as Tuki regained an earnest and confident smile, this moment being too much for her to keep on being sad and morose. ''I don't just dance. I'm one of the best, Shantae. I was trained by genies and I've even taught them a lesson or two...For a price~'' Tuki declared, giving her a little wink as she swayed her hips in a matter that felt much more earnest and passionate than it ever did in the last few years. Perhaps she could help this one and, in the future, a whole new generation as she then made her an offer that would be of great help to this half-genie hero.

''Buy sssomething?''


End file.
